CONTROLS Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

controls 1 of 2

noun

plural of control

as in controllers

a mechanism for adjusting the operation of a device, machine, or system the controls for the player are well marked

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Relevance

as in hands

the ability to direct the course of something after the tail fell off, the plane went out of the pilot's control firefighters keeping control of the blaze

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as in operations

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something control of manufacturing operations was given to a new manager with fresh ideas

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as in powers

the right or means to command or control others teachers are responsible for the students under their control

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controls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of control

as in regulates

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you must learn to control your temper

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as in contains

to gain emotional or mental control of he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks

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as in rules

to exercise authority or power over circumstances often control the choices we make in life

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as in operates

to look after and make decisions about during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of controls

Noun

Age verifications and parental controls come with notorious loopholes. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026 Recent incidents, like OpenAI's models bypassing controls and Anthropic's models accessing real systems, underscore this threat. — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 More than 20 vendors are expected, along with additional food, games, performances and improved line and safety controls. — Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026 According to the listing, the interior has wood floors, tongue-and-groove knotty pine accents, granite countertops, Lutron lighting controls and two gas fireplaces. — Brendel Clark, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026 If those systems contain weak authorization controls, capable agents may find them. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026 The steering-wheel controls return to tactile thumbwheels rather than the touch-sensitive arrangement that was, to put it politely, a solution in search of a problem. — New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026 The Canadian hemlock wood looks clean and substantial, and the heating panels, wiring, controls, lighting, and speakers are all neatly integrated. — Evan Russum, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2026 Self Simulated is an obstacle-course platformer that recalls Super Meat Boy, but it's held back by controls that aren't nearly as tight and frustratingly large instant-kill hit boxes. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026

Verb

The privacy controls around those ads are especially relevant here. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 But before Bane can finish him off, Batman stabs a Batarang into a little knob on Bane’s wrist gauntlet, the one that controls his intake of Venom. — Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 When the Boston Red Sox were in the midst of an early-season swoon, the principal owner of the holding company that controls the team was moved to make rare public comments. — Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair Buffy Wicks, who controls what survives her committee, did not respond to questions about her decision to effectively kill the oversight bill there. — Julie Watts august 20, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Standard joystick controls force an operator to translate every wrist flick into cabin rotation, arm extension, or bucket movement, an unnatural mapping that engineers call a mental model. — New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026 Leo Carlsson is a massive, highly skilled center who controls the middle of the ice and makes difficult plays look routine. — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The party holds a supermajority in the legislature and controls every statewide office, yet voters have repeatedly used the initiative petition process to enact policies Republican leaders oppose. — Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2026 Starbase controls road access to a nearby beach, and a nature reserve during launches. — August 17, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for controls

Noun

Everything in the system—the derailleur, the controllers, and the motor—takes power from a single removable battery.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
Although flight controllers managed to slow Link’s tumble, issues continued to plague its pointing and positioning in orbit.

— Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of controllers

Noun

That afternoon, the president, inside the exposition’s ornate Temple of Music, greeted members of the public, shaking hands and warmly inviting them to explore the fair.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Mendoza threw high to Jalen Nailor on his second play, and the ball popped into the air into the hands of San Francisco linebacker Tatum Bethune for an interception.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hands

Noun

Managers guide a roster constructed by their general manager or head of baseball operations.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Organizations need security operations capable of correlating multiple attack vectors, responding at machine speed and continuously learning from attacks occurring far beyond the walls of any single enterprise.

— Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of operations

Noun

This is viewed as part of his decentralization agenda, aiming to transfer powers in areas such as skills training and select tax authorities from London to local combined authorities.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The Quorum Court voted in August 2023 to strip certain powers from the Saline County Library Board and increase the county's direct control over the library system.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of powers

Verb

Niacinamide — a multi-functional ingredient that strengthens the skin barrier, regulates oil production, and calms and fades discoloration — is also in the mix.

— Claudia Fisher, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
There’s also research that indicates microplastics cause disruptions to our endocrine system, which regulates our hormones.

— Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of regulates

Verb

Each contains a proprietary ingredient combination named VitaMega Complex, consisting of vitamin-C rich Kakadu plum, inositol to strengthen the hair fiber, and sacha inchi, an omega-dense oil that nourishes hair.

— Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
This pick from Dagne Dover pretty much checks every box—it is made from thick neoprene material that stands up on its own, contains multiple pockets for storage, and has a removable mesh pouch.

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of contains

Verb

Robinson, who is currently in state prison, will remain in custody at least until a judge rules on his custody status at a hearing, Wagstaffe said.

— Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
And merchant readiness, so offers carry the stock, price and rules an agent can read and act on instantly.

— Lital Marom, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026